Chile has always been the “little brother” of the four founding nations of CONMEBOL, despite its status as the second-oldest national team in South American soccer. Their strongest moment on the World Cup stage came in 1962 as hosts, where victories over Italy, the USSR, and Yugoslavia earned the Chileans third place. However, the World Cup hasn’t always been kind to Chile, as they hold the dubious distinction of being the first team in World Cup history to miss a penalty kick, as well as the first team to receive a red card. Santiago’s Estadio Nacional, where Chile plays their home games, is one of the most politically charged sites in world soccer: dictator Augusto Pinochet and his DINA secret police force used the stadium for detainment, torture, and execution of political opponents following the military coup of September 11, 1973. In recent decades, the Chilean “golden generation” sparked by manager Marcelo Bielsa’s positive, high-octane style and stars Alexis Sánchez and Arturo Vidal brought “La Roja” to unprecedented highs. In 2008, they achieved their first-ever victory over Argentina on the international stage. Then, manager Jorge Sampaoli took Chile on its greatest two-year period ever: a trip to the round of 16 at the 2014 World Cup, followed by an emotional victory on penalties in the 2015 Copa América final over Argentina in that same Estadio Nacional. Sampaoli’s resignation couldn’t stop the Chileans from winning a second straight Copa title in 2016, but after failure to qualify for the 2018 World Cup the team has struggled to reclaim an identity.
They’ll look to change that at the 2024 Copa América under the tutelage of “El Tigre” Ricardo Gareca. The former Argentina international and star Boca Juniors striker plays a Bielsa-esque style of possession football and led Peru to its all-time best finish in the 2019 Copa América before parting ways with the federation in late 2022. It’s impossible to preview the Chilean national team without mentioning star striker Alexis Sánchez: the nation’s all-time leader in both caps and goals, Sánchez will be vital to their attack, even if at age 35 he’s not quite the world-class striker he once was. Look for Gareca to slide Sánchez in at the 10 behind true 9 Eduardo Vargas, a formation he deployed against Albania and France in recent friendlies and which produced five goals, including two over the reigning World Cup finalists. They’ll likely battle Peru for second place in a group also featuring tournament favorite Argentina; while it’s been a few years since a strong showing on the international stage, this Chilean squad has players who know how to win a Copa, and it certainly wouldn’t be a surprise to see them not only emerge from the group stage but also make a run in the knockout rounds.
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